Outbreak News Today

On the Sunday, Dec. 27 airing of the Outbreak News This Week Radio Show, the main topics of discussion were leprosy, or Hansen’s Disease and Ticks as I was joined by two magnificent guests. During the first segment, Richard W. Truman, Ph.D., Chief, Laboratory Research Branch with the National Hansen’s Disease Program joined me to talk about leprosy in the United […]

The 69-year-old country icon is trying to help her long time friend and attorney get a kidney and she has turned to YouTube and online fundraising organization, Public Good to achieve this objective. Dolly Parton says in her video plea, “I want to take the time to acknowledge the FloodSisters Kidney Foundation of America. Now these […]

In the capital of the Tamil Nadu state in eastern India, health professionals in Chennai are reporting seeing a spike in cases of scrub typhus. The Times of India reports: “In the last two weeks, we’ve been seeing a sharp spike in the number of people reporting with fever, and every third or fourth case […]

An outbreak of a yet unknown illness causing symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea on Holland America Line’s Veendam cruise ship is the latest being investigated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC-VSP) in the month of December. According to a Vessel Sanitation Program update, 67 passengers and crew were sickened with the illness of unknown […]

Since the last report on the diphtheria outbreak in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan two weeks ago, the number of fatalities has risen from 18 to 34 from the serious toxigenic disease, according to a recent The Nation report. The large outbreak of the vaccine preventable disease has prompted strong words from Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. The […]

A father and son from a local village have died from Lassa fever at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital in Kano, according to a local media report. These are likely the first cases in the north-western state. According to the Guardian report, the Executive Secretary of Centre for Disease Control in Nigeria, Prof. Abdulsalam Nasidi, confirmed that the […]

In China, the Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province has reported a fatality due to to avian influenza A(H7N9) in a Dongguan man. According to health authorities, the 61-year-old man with underlying illnesses was admitted to a local hospital on December 22 and passed away the next day. The deceased had visited a local market and […]

The Sunshine State almost went the entire year without a autochthonous, or locally acquired case of dengue fever; however, the Florida Department of Health reported the first case during the week of Dec. 13 in Broward County. Health officials say the individual had an onset of illness in October. Local transmission means that mosquitoes in that […]

Despite a campaign and attempts by the Mexican government to prevent mosquito borne viruses this year, the numbers have climbed in respect to chikungunya, dengue fever and now the introduction of autochthonous, or locally acquired cases of Zika virus. Since the first local transmission of chikungunya in Chiapas, Mexico 13 months ago, the cumulative total has […]

Thailand saw 10 additional dengue-related fatalities and 7,000 dengue fever cases during the past week, according to data released by Thai health officials. The cumulative total of dengue cases through Dec. 21 in the Kingdom is now at 138,794 cases, up from 131,647 cases one week ago. The number of deaths have increased to 139. Petchaburi province […]

In a follow-up report on the Zimbabwe anthrax outbreak, health officials now say the number of villagers in Umzingwane district has risen to 56, including a number of small children as of Tuesday, according to a Chronicle report. This has prompted the government to launch an intensive campaign to educate the public in Matabeleland on the […]

In one of the most tightly controlled trials ever conducted of drugs used to treat sexually transmitted infections, researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have confirmed that azithromycin remains effective in the treatment of urogenital chlamydia. In a study published Dec. 24 in the New England Journal of Medicine, the research team compared […]

The Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH) reported as of Dec. 24, 180 confirmed cases of dengue fever. This is an increase of four cases during the past 24 hours. Of the confirmed cases, 162 are Hawaii Island residents and 18 are visitors. The County of Hawaii announced the response to the dengue fever outbreak continues and […]

California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith today announced that California is experiencing an increase in norovirus cases, commonly referred to as stomach flu or winter vomiting disease. CDPH has confirmed 32 outbreaks of norovirus in California since Oct. 1, 2015 – likely resulting in hundreds of […]

The number of microcephaly cases reported in Brazil grew by nearly 400 during the past week, bringing the cumulative total of suspected cases to 2,782, including 40 deaths, the Brazilian Health Ministry reported (computer translated). These cases are distributed in 618 municipalities of 20 units of the Federation. Brazil averages 100-150 cases annually prior to 2015. […]

The hepatitis C virus may be associated with an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, according to a study published in the December 23, 2015, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Parkinson’s disease is considered the second most common degenerative brain disorder after Alzheimer’s disease. Hepatitis C is a […]

The Caribbean island of Martinique has become the latest country or territory in the Americas to report autochthonous, or local transmission of Zika virus, according to a Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Epidemiological report this week. This makes the island in the Lesser Antilles in the eastern Caribbean Sea the 11th place in the Americas […]

The outbreak of dengue fever on Big Island has increased by three cases, bringing the total to 170, according to The Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH). These cases include 152 residents and 18 visitors. The Department of Health is spraying and treating areas connected to confirmed cases to reduce mosquito populations. In addition, Civil Defense teams are […]

In a follow-up to a report here from earlier this year, Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Karen Murphy issued a statement on Tuesday concerning the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) preliminary report on an infection cluster found at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC): “In September 2015, the Department of Health asked the CDC […]

When it rains it pours for the restaurant chain. Just as it appeared the multistate Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O26 (STEC O26) was slowing with health officials seeing only one additional case since Dec. 4, a new outbreak caused by a different, rare DNA fingerprint of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O26 (STEC O26) linked to Chipotle Mexican […]

A new strain of norovirus, the most common cause of sudden intestinal illness, has shown up in Minnesota, and that could mean more norovirus illnesses this winter, state health officials warned today. The new strain, called GII.17 Kawasaki, caused many outbreaks in Asia last winter before arriving in the U.S. MDH has investigated more than […]

From the data available, the Philippines appears to have seen the most dengue fever this year in Southeast Asia reporting about 170,000 cases during the first 11 months of 2015. Today, some excellent news for the country–The Philippines’ Food and Drug Administration approved Dengvaxia®, tetravalent dengue vaccine, for the prevention of disease caused by all […]

In a update from a previous report of Zika virus infection on the island country of Cape Verde, the World Health Organization (WHO) now reports the situation as of Dec. 6: Between the end of September and 6 December, 4,744 suspected cases of Zika virus infection have been reported. Suspected cases were reported from several municipalities […]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated their Chikungunya web page on Oct. 30 with an interesting piece of information–the number of autochthonous, or locally acquired chikungunya cases changed from 11 in Florida (and the US as a whole in 2014) to twelve. Outbreak News Today reached out to the Florida Department of Health […]

In a follow-up to an earlier report on the cases of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus in Myanmar, the World Health Organization published the following Monday concerning the details: Laboratory confirmation that VDPV type 2 is circulating in Myanmar was received on 7 November 2015. The circulating VDPV2 was isolated from a 16-month old boy who developed acute […]

Local transmission of the mosquito borne virus, Zika virus, in the Western hemisphere and autochthonous Chagas disease in the United States, and particularly south Texas has caught the nation’s attention in recent weeks. Two great expert guests from the Lone Star State joined me Sunday on the Outbreak News This Week Radio Show to bring a better understanding […]

The Government, through the National Institute of Health (NIH), is conducting special surveillance for neurological manifestations related to Zika virus, according to a Minsalud report (computer translated). The Minister of Health and Social Protection, Alejandro Gaviria Uribe explained that since the beginning of the Zika outbreak in Turbaco (Bolívar) and reports of cases in French Polynesia and […]

For the fourth year in a row, the United States has reported more than 2,000 human West Nile virus (WNV) cases and California once again leads all states. As of last week, 2,022 cumulative WNV cases have been reported, including 114 deaths. The last year the US saw less than 2,000 cases was 2011 (712). California […]

At least 36 people in Zimbabwe’s Umzingwane district have sought treatment in local clinics for anthrax, according to Zimbabwe media last week. Nearly all the cases were classified as cutaneous anthrax. There are no reports of fatalities. In addition, some 25 cattle have died from the bacterial disease, prompting fears of tainted meat being sold to […]

The number of Salmonella Infantis cases reported in the multi-province outbreak in Canada has grown to 91 cases in nine provinces, according to Canadian health officials. This is an increase of nine cases during the past 10 days. The investigation into the outbreak that started in mid-October (original notice) continues and health officials try to […]

Animal bites, particularly dog bites, are by far the greatest threat of human rabies on the planet. However, other animal bites can be equally as dangerous although less frequently encountered. It’s hard to even imagine being bit by a monkey here in the US; however, in Delhi, India, 1,823 monkey bites were reported during the first […]

HIV/AIDS cases in India have declined year-after-year since 2012, according to newly published data. The total cases seen this year through September is 93,336. This compares to a consistent decrease in cases since 2012–2012 (245,859), 2013 (240,234) and 2014 (223,723). India has implemented a number programs to prevent and control HIV/AIDS to include Targeted Intervention (Targeted Interventions comprise […]

As the cool breeze of Christmas approaches this season, the Department of Health (DOH) advises the public to be cautious of the common illnesses that may occur during the holidays. “The cold weather usually triggers respiratory problems unless appropriate preventive measures are taken, especially in areas affected by Typhoon Nona. Take care of yourself and […]

HIV infection is the leading risk factor for stroke in young African adults, a new study by the University of Liverpool’s Institute of Infection and Global Health has found. The incidence of stroke is on the increase across most of sub-Saharan Africa. In countries like Malawi, a substantial proportion of stroke patients are young adults, […]

Colombia health officials continue to see a rise in total Zika virus cases as more than 1,000 laboratory-confirmed and suspected cases have been seen in each of the past 5 weeks. Since the appearance of the virus in Colombia a few months ago, officials report a cumulative total of 7,516 confirmed and suspected cases as of […]

Earlier this week, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported being notified by Chinese health officials of two additional cases laboratory-confirmed cases of human infection with avian influenza A (H7N9) virus. Details of the cases are as follows: The first case is a 74-year-old male from Meizhou City, Guangdong Province, with onset date of 19 November. He […]

Saskatchewan Agriculture is reminding producers to be on the lookout for anthrax in their animals after confirmation that anthrax has been found in cattle in the RM of Harris #316. Anthrax was confirmed by laboratory results on December 17, 2015 as the cause of death in one cow. It is the suspected cause of death […]

The dengue fever outbreak in Taiwan is slowing with decreases reported during the past four weeks, according to Taiwan CDC data. According to the statistics compiled by the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) for Dengue Outbreak, a total of additional 85 indigenous dengue cases were confirmed in Taiwan on December 18, 2015, including 78 cases […]

While the US as a whole is reporting an overall 14 percent increase in opioid overdose deaths, including both opioid pain relievers and heroin, no states saw the increases from 2013 to 2014 like New Hampshire. According to new data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of drug overdose […]

Honduras health officials announced earlier this week in a news release (see below) the confirmation of two Zika virus infections. The cases, were reported near the border with El Salvador, a country that has already confirmed autochthonous, or locally transmitted Zika virus infection. The two individuals from the Valle department are home recuperating and in good […]

Merck yesterday announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved an expanded indication for KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab), the company’s anti-PD-1 (programmed death receptor-1) therapy, to include the first-line treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma. This approval marks the second FDA-approved indication in advanced melanoma for KEYTRUDA, which is now the first […]

Merck announced this week that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved an expanded age indication for GARDASIL®9 (Human Papillomavirus 9-valent Vaccine, Recombinant), Merck’s 9-valent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, to now include use in males 16 through 26 years of age, for the prevention of anal cancer caused by HPV types 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, […]

The Brazilian Ministry of Health announced today they have trained 11 public laboratories to perform the testing for the diagnosis of Zika virus. These labs , in addition to the five sentinel laboratories (Fiocruz reference, located in Rio de Janeiro, Paraná, Pernambuco, São Paulo (Adolfo Lutz Institute) and Pará (Evandro Chagas Institute), already testing for Zika, bring […]

Officials with the University of Campinas (Unicamp) the transmission of Zika virus via a blood transfusion, according to a Folha de São Paulo report (computer translated). The director of the Hematology Division of the Blood Center at the university, Marcelo Addas Carvalho said that a patient was infected by Zika virus in March after receiving a blood transfusion from a […]

A new report in the New England Journal of Medicine documents the lasting effects of survival from the Ebola virus, including muscle pains, nerve damage, and vision loss. Ebola, a single stranded negative sense RNA virus of the family Filoviridae, is a hemorrhagic virus that caused thousands of deaths through most of 2014 and into […]

Chipotle founder and CEO, Steve Ells, following his public apology on national television , has published a letter on their official website concerning the E. coli and norovirus outbreaks and the steps the company is taking to rectify the foodborne illness situation. As a chef, nothing is more important to me than serving my guests food […]

A new report released today found that more than half (28) of states score a five or lower out of 10 key indicators related to preventing, detecting, diagnosing and responding to outbreaks. The report, from Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), concluded that the United States must redouble efforts […]

A new discovery from the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry could open the door to one day treat or prevent diseases caused by West Nile virus and Dengue virus infections. The research, published and featured in the Spot Light section of the December edition of the Journal of Virology, examines a previously […]

For the Philippines as a whole, it has been a tough year for dengue fever, particularly during the second half of 2015. The archipelago is reporting a 60 percent increase in cases during the first nearly 11 months of 2015 compared to the same period in 2014- 169,435 vs 106,241 suspected cases. However, the a region in northern Luzon […]

The General Department of Preventive Medicine under the Vietnamese Ministry of Health issued a warning earlier this month concerning eating raw pork after dozens of Streptococcus suis infections were reported this year and the holiday season around the corner. According to the Deputy Director of Preventive Health, Dr. Truong Dinh Bac, 82 cases have been reported in […]